Multiple coil staple and staple applier
A multiple coil staple is provided which includes a backspan and a pair of spaced legs. The backspan includes one or more pockets configured to induce coiling of the legs of the staple. A multiple coil staple applier is also provided which includes a pusher having a distal face defining a staple engagement surface and one or more staple deforming pockets. Each staple deforming pocket is configured to induce coiling of the legs of a staple. The multiple coil staple and staple applier facilitate joining of tissues having wider ranges of thicknesses using a single size staple.
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This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/686,773 entitled “MULTIPLE COIL STAPLE AND STAPLE APPLIER,” which was filed on Jun. 2, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a fastener and a fastener applier. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a staple and/or staple applier with structure for curling or coiling staple legs to facilitate joining of tissues having varying thicknesses.
2. Background of Related Art
Surgical staples and stapling instruments are well known in the surgical arts and have become critical to many life saving surgical procedures. The use of stapling instruments for applying staples to join tissue or tissue segments in a fast and efficient manner has obviated the time consuming step of manually suturing tissue or tissue segments in these surgical procedures, e.g., anastomoses procedures. The reduced time required to perform these surgical procedures using surgical stapling instruments has resulted in reduced trauma and risk to patients.
Typically, a surgical staple includes a backspan and a pair of spaced legs. The legs are driven through tissue and into an anvil to deform the staple into a desired configuration, e.g., B-staple, to effect hemostasis of tissue or tissue segments. One problem associated with known staples and staple appliers is that the staples are dimensioned or sized to fasten tissue segments of a given tissue thickness or fasten tissue segments within a predetermined narrow range of thicknesses. Neither the staple nor the staple applier is adapted to deform or reconfigure a staple to facilitate effective hemostatis of tissues having thicknesses outside the predetermined range for a particular size staple.
Accordingly, a continuing need exists in the field of surgery for a surgical staple and/or staple applier which can adapt or reconfigure a surgical staple in a manner which is suitable for use in fastening tissue having a wider range of thicknesses.
SUMMARYIn accordance with the present disclosure, a multiple coil staple is provided which includes a backspan having a top surface and a bottom surface and first and second spaced legs. The first leg extends downwardly from one end of the backspan and the second leg extends downwardly from the other end of the backspan. The bottom surface of the backspan includes one or more pockets positioned to receive the first and second legs of the staple after the first and second legs of the staple have been deformed. The one or more pockets is configured to induce coiling of the first and second legs. In one embodiment, the one or more pockets includes a first pocket positioned to receive the first leg of the staple and a second pocket positioned to receive the second leg of the staple.
The first and second pockets can be configured to induce helical coiling of the first and second legs, respectively. In one embodiment, the first pocket is configured to induce helical coiling in a first direction and the second pocket is configured to induce helical coiling in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The backspan can include an area of increased width to accommodate the one or more pockets.
A multiple coil staple applier is also disclosed which includes a housing defining a staple slot, a staple positioned within the staple slot and having a backspan and a pair of spaced legs, and a pusher dimensioned to be slidably received within the staple slot. The pusher has a distal end having a distal face which defines a staple engagement surface positioned to engage the backspan of the staple and at one or more staple deforming pockets. The one or more staple deforming pockets are configured to induce coiling of the staple legs. In one embodiment, the one or more staple deforming pockets includes first and second staple deforming pockets. The first and second staple deforming pockets can be configured to induce helical coiling of the staple legs. In one embodiment, the first staple deforming pocket is configured to induce helical coiling of the first staple leg in a first direction and the second staple deforming pocket is configured to induce helical coiling of the second staple leg in a second direction opposite the first direction.
The staple engagement surface and the one or more staple deforming pockets can be laterally offset from each other.
In one embodiment, the one or more staple deforming pockets includes first and second staple deforming pockets positioned on one side of the staple engagement surface. In one embodiment, the one or more staple deforming pockets includes first and second staple deforming pockets positioned on opposite sides of the staple engagement surface. Each of the first and second staple deforming pockets can be configured to induce helical coiling of the staple legs.
In one embodiment, the first staple deforming pocket is configured to induce helical coiling of the first staple leg in a first direction and the second staple deforming pocket is configured to induce helical coiling of the second staple leg in a second direction opposite the first direction.
A multiple coil staple is also disclosed which includes a backspan and first and second legs. The backspan has a top surface and a bottom surface wherein the bottom surface has one or more staple deforming pockets. In one embodiment, the one or more staple deforming pockets includes first and second staple deforming pockets. The backspan can includes an area of increased width to accommodate the one or more staple deforming pockets.
A staple pusher for use with a staple applier is also disclosed which includes a body having a distal end having a distal face. The distal face has a staple engagement surface positioned to engage the backspan of a staple and one or more staple deforming pockets configured to induce coiling of legs of a staple. In one embodiment, the one or more staple deforming pockets includes first and second staple deforming pockets.
Various embodiments of the presently disclosed multiple coil staple are disclosed herein with reference to the drawings, wherein:
Embodiments of the presently disclosed multiple coil staple and/or staple applier will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings wherein like numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views.
Referring to
Referring to
As illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
The configuration of pocket or pockets 122 can be modified to control the direction and/or shape of staple leg coiling. For example, as illustrated in
Pusher 214 includes a proximal end 214a and a distal end 214b. Proximal end 214a is operably associated with the drive member (not shown) of a surgical stapler. The drive member is actuable to advance pusher 214 along channel 16 (
In use, when pusher 214 is advanced within channel 16 (
Referring to
The presently disclosed multiple coil staple and/or staple applier may be incorporated into known surgical stapling instruments including both open and endoscopic instruments and sequential, single, and multiple fire instruments. Examples of such instruments are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents which are incorporated into this application in their entirety by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,045,560, 5,964,394, 5,894,979, 5,878,937, 5,915,616, 5,836,503, 5,865,361, 5,862,972, 5,817,109, 5,797,538 and 5,782,396. It is also envisioned that the presently disclosed embodiments of the multiple coil staple and/or staple applier could also be incorporated into robotically operated surgical staplers.
It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.
Claims
1. A multiple coil surgical staple comprising:
- a backspan having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- first and second spaced legs, the first leg extending downwardly from one end of the backspan and the second leg extending downwardly from the other end of the backspan;
- wherein the bottom surface of the backspan includes one or more pockets positioned to receive the first and second legs of the staple after the first and second legs of the staple have passed through body tissue and been deformed by an anvil of a surgical stapler, the one or more pockets being configured to induce coiling of the first and second legs.
2. A multiple coil surgical staple according to claim 1, wherein the one or more pockets includes a first pocket positioned to receive the first leg and a second pocket positioned to receive the second leg.
3. A multiple coil staple according to claim 2, wherein the first and second pockets are configured to induce helical coiling of the first and second legs, respectively.
4. A multiple coil staple according to claim 3, wherein the first pocket is configured to induce helical coiling in a first direction and the second pocket is configured to induce helical coiling in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
5. A multiple coil surgical staple according to claim 1, wherein the backspan includes an area of increased width with respect to a remaining portion of the backspan, the at least one pocket being formed in the area of increased width.
6. A multiple coil surgical staple according to claim 1, wherein the first and second legs each include a tissue holding portion configured and dimensioned to engage tissue upon approximation of the first and second legs with the backspan to effect hemostasis of the tissue.
7. A multiple coil surgical staple comprising:
- a backspan and first and second legs, the backspan having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface having one or more pockets positioned and configured to induce coiling of the staple legs as the staple legs contact the one or more pockets.
8. A multiple coil surgical staple according to claim 7, wherein the one or more pockets includes first and second pockets.
9. A multiple coil surgical staple according to claim 7, wherein the backspan includes an area of increased width with respect to a remaining portion of the backspan, the one or more pockets being formed in the area of increased width.
10. A multiple coil surgical staple comprising:
- a backspan having a top surface and a bottom surface and defining a first axis;
- first and second legs disposed at opposite ends of the backspan and each extending downwardly therefrom along a second axis, the first leg terminating in a first tip and the second leg terminating in a second tip;
- wherein the bottom surface of the backspan includes at least one forming pocket positioned to receive the first and second tips of the first and second legs and configured such that the first and second legs are coiled during formation of the multiple coil staple in body tissue.
11. A multiple coil surgical staple according to claim 10, wherein the backspan includes an area of increased width with respect to a remaining portion of the backspan, the at least one forming pocket being formed in the area of increased width.
12. A multiple coil surgical staple according to claim 10, wherein the at least one forming pocket includes at least one forming surface that defines a third axis, the third axis intersecting the second axis such that an angle is defined therebetween.
13. A multiple coil surgical staple according to claim 12, wherein the angle is sufficient in magnitude to deflect the first and second legs away from the first axis upon engagement of the first and second tips with the at least one forming surface.
14. A multiple coil staple surgical according to claim 13, wherein the at least one forming surface includes a first forming surface and a second forming surface, the first forming surface being configured to engage the first tip of the first leg such that the first leg is deflected in a first direction and the second forming surface being configured to engage the second tip of the second leg such that the second leg is deflected in a second direction.
15. A multiple coil surgical staple according to claim 14, wherein the first direction is opposite the second direction.
16. A multiple coil surgical staple according to claim 10, wherein the first leg includes a first tissue holding portion and the second leg includes a second tissue holding portion, the first and second tissue holding portions each being configured to engage tissue as the first and second staple legs are coiled during formation, thereby facilitating approximation of the backspan with the first and second tissue holding portions to effect hemostasis of the tissue.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Jun 1, 2006
Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
Patent Publication Number: 20060278679
Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (North Haven, CT)
Inventors: Frank J. Viola (Sandy Hook, CT), Richard D. Gresham (Guilford, CT), Ken Blier (Meriden, CT), Paul Merten (Fairfield, CT), Joseph Sapiente (Seymour, CT), Henry E. Holsten (Covington, GA), Russell Heinrich (Madison, CT)
Primary Examiner: Scott A. Smith
Application Number: 11/444,664
International Classification: A61B 17/068 (20060101);